BlackBerry KickStart 8220

The Bold is still stealing the overwhelming majority of RIM's spotlight at the moment for a handful of pretty good reasons: one, it's actually been announced; two, it's 3G; and three, it falls in line with the traditional (and loved) BlackBerry form factor. Lurking in the shadows, though, is the KickStart, RIM's very first flip phone, and a device that could end up making a huge splash if it actually manages to launch at the sub-$50 price point that's been making the rounds on the rumor circuit. CrackBerry got a way-early peek at the 8220 version of the device, which follows RIM's typical naming convention by packing WiFi while an 8210 will hold up the GPS side of things (seriously, RIM, how hard can it be to do both?), and overall it seems that the R&D team did its homework from the quick impressions. The SureType keyboard is huge and apparently quite easy to use without making the phone excessively large, though the trackball rests deeper in the shell making it a bit trickier to operate -- you win some, you lose some. The QVGA display is said to be just shy of Bold quality (which is a compliment, considering the killer screen on the Bold), and it's always hard to argue with a 3.5mm headphone jack. Come on, T-Mobile, let's make this happen.

RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120 (AT&T) - Product Summary

The good: The RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120 for AT&T brings Wi-Fi to the slim smartphone, along with an improved Web browser and a 2-megapixel camera with video recording capabilities. The handset also has integrated Bluetooth, strong e-mail capabilities, and solid multimedia features.

The bad: The BlackBerry Pearl 8120 lacks 3G support and GPS. The SureType keyboard still requires a learning curve, and there was a slight background hiss during phone calls.

The bottom line: The addition of Wi-Fi and other enhancements make the RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120 a nice upgrade, but we couldn't help wanting a little more from the smartphone.

Specs: OS provided: BlackBerry Handheld Software; Band / mode: GSM 850/900/1800/1900; Wireless connectivity: IEEE 802.11b, Bluetooth 2.0, IEEE 802.11g

Pearl 8100, original RAZR on their way out of AT&T stores?

Grab your Kleenex, folks, because we've heard today that a couple of seemingly timeless pillars in AT&T's lineup might be breathing their last few breaths of in-store air. First up, the Pearl 8100 is due for replacement on all the networks that still offer it, with the 8110 and 8120 models taking their place depending on individual carriers' dispositions toward WiFi, and we're hearing that AT&T will be phasing out the older units this month in preparation for an April launch of the GPS-equipped 8110.

Next -- and here's a shocker -- rumor has it that AT&T is also starting to close the door on the original Motorola RAZR V3. Not to worry; naturally, you'll still be able to get those great circa-2004 looks by picking up a V3xx, but the old-skool units appear to be on the verge of overstaying their welcome. Frankly, the writing's been on the wall there for a year, if not longer, so we're not sure that this is much more than a formality. We'll keep you updated on this one as soon as we here more.